French prosecutors on Wednesday charged Telegram messaging app founder Pavel Durov with crimes related to allowing criminal activity on his popular messaging app. Photo by Nick Lubushko/Wikimedia Commons
Aug. 28 (UPI) — French law enforcement indicted Russia native and billionaire Pavel Durov for allegedly permitting criminal activity on the Telegram messaging app that he founded.
Durov, 39, founded Telegram in 2013 and has gained more than 900 million users who use the messaging app and its encryption technology to communicate without governmental interference.
The app also has become popular among those involved in criminal activities and who post content that could lead to harm to others.
Many law enforcement agencies in the United States, France and other nations have said the app is used as a communications tool by terrorist organizations, gun runners, drug dealers and extremist groups.
The app enables users to create messaging groups of up to 200,000 members and offers secret chats and self-destructing messages.
Officials in England recently accused Telegram of hosting far-right and extremist organizations that organized riots throughout the nation in July.
Telegram initially was based in Russia, but Durov left the nation in 2014 and moved the app’s headquarters to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Durov is banned from leaving France and is under judicial supervision, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office said.
Durov paid a 5 million euro bond, which is equal to about $5.5 million, and must check in with a police station twice a week until the matter is resolved.
French officials announced the indictment Wednesday after arresting Durov Saturday when he arrived in Paris on a private jet.
Durov’s arrest raises issues regarding free speech.
Forbes estimated the Telegram app enabled Durov accrue a net worth of about $15.5 billion.